Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Responding to a defamation case filed against him for his comments on Indore's top rank in the Swachhata Survekshan, BharatPe co-founder Ashneer Grover said “Sorry to Indore” but added that he was ''not sorry to any politician.''
A non-cognisable offence was registered against him on Monday after he said during a programme in the city that “Indore's has bought Swachhata Survey (the award).”
In his post on X (formerly known as Twitter), Grover said, “Sorry to Indore. You've got great people and city. But politicians everywhere have got no chill. Unnecessary politics being made out of a statement made in jest in a playful conversation on Bhopal vs Indore. Where the audience had fun - no offence was meant. None taken by anyone. No one getting offended now was even present in the room,'' Grover wrote on X.
He added that he doesn't care about police case as he is not “a pushover” and “won't be bullied”.
He posted, “Not Sorry to any politician. Ever. No one. Any party. FIR kar lo. Case kar lo. Koi farak nahi padta - I am not a pushover - won’t be bullied. Don’t make issue where there is none. It might be election year - but people are smart. Indori people - super smart. I’ll come to Indore when I wish, as many times I wish - and am confident of Indori mehmaan nawazi.”
“And yes on Bhopal vs Indore - my favourite remains Bhopal. It would be dishonest of me to put Bhopal lower when I feel it’s not only MP’s but India’s best city. Chill !,” he concluded.
At an event in Indore, Grover said "See, there is a concept - playing to the gallery, that is, wherever you go, praise it saying I have never seen such a nice city. Now the problem with me is that for three-four years I have heard that Indore is the cleanest city...you have bought the survey. It's a simple thing. Picking up chip packets, and wrappers from the road alone is not cleanliness; debris is also counted (hinting towards debris lying at many places in Indore)."
Grover, however, immediately clarified he was not saying there was filth in Indore, and that he meant several construction works are going on in the city.
Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargav called his statement ''an insult to the hard work of the city's people and sanitation workers for cleanliness.''
Chappan Dukan Association has also stated that they would not allow Grover to enter the smart fast food street till he apologises for his remark.
